Good Seats Still Available

454: Baseball's Most Misunderstood Commissioner - With Dave Bohmer

Ford Frick's name may be familiar to baseball fans, but his story — and his impact on the game — have largely faded from view. Yet for more than four decades, Frick occupied a front-row seat to some of the most transformative moments in baseball history, first as a journalist and publicist, then as National League president and ultimately as Major League Baseball's third commissioner. This week, we're joined by author Dave Bohmer, whose new book, "Ford Frick: Baseball's Third Commissioner and His Four Decades of Shaping the Game," offers a fresh and compelling reassessment of one of the sport's most misunderstood executives. Drawing on extensive archival research, Bohmer argues that Frick was far more than a caretaker commissioner, emerging instead as a pivotal figure whose influence can be found throughout the development of the modern game. Together, we explore Frick's unlikely rise from newspaper reporter to one of baseball's most powerful figures, his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II, his involvement in the creation of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and his stewardship during an era that saw Jackie Robinson break baseball's color barrier, franchises move west, television reshape the business of sports, and expansion transform the major leagues. We also examine the controversies that continue to define Frick's legacy — from the Roger Maris home run debate to longstanding perceptions that he served owners more than the game itself—and discuss why Bohmer believes history has understated his influence on the sport he helped shape. + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY BUY THE BOOK:  "Ford Frick: Baseball's Third Commissioner and His Four Decades of Shaping the Game": https://amzn.to/4yKveQq SPONSOR THANKS:  Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.royalretros.com/?ref=SEATS Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

453: The USFL's Memphis Showboats - With Keith Wood

For generations, the city of Memphis chased something bigger than a winning football team. It chased major league status. When the USFL arrived in 1984, the Memphis Showboats became far more than a spring football franchise. For one unforgettable moment, they embodied a city's belief that it belonged on the biggest stage in professional sports. This week, Memphis sports historian and author Keith Wood returns to the show — this time to explore the remarkable story behind his new book "The Memphis Showboats: The USFL Team & the City's Fight for Major League Status." Together, we trace the city's decades-long pursuit of professional football—from the World Football League's Memphis Southmen to the arrival of the USFL — and examine why the Showboats resonated so deeply with fans despite surviving only two unforgettable seasons. Along the way, we revisit the vision of David Dixon, the influence of John Bassett, the recruiting coup that landed Reggie White, the innovative football mind of Pepper Rodgers, the overlooked brilliance of quarterback Walter Lewis, and the leadership of Steve Ehrhart that transformed the Showboats into legitimate championship contenders. The Showboats lasted just two seasons. Their legend has lasted four decades. Join us as we celebrate one of the USFL's most beloved franchises — and the city that embraced it. + + +     SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY BUY THE BOOK:  "The Memphis Showboats: The USFL Team and the City's Fight for Major League Status": https://amzn.to/4pfjaSV SPONSOR THANKS:  Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.royalretros.com/?ref=SEATS Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

452: The USFL's San Antonio Gunslingers - With Greg Singleton

The original USFL produced its share of unforgettable franchises. None was more entertaining — or more unbelievable — than the San Antonio Gunslingers. On the field, they were gritty, competitive and remarkably resilient. Off the field? Pure chaos. Bounced paychecks. A front office operating out of a double-wide trailer. Players racing across South Texas to cash payroll checks before the money disappeared. Coaches juggling multiple jobs. Ownership lurching from one financial crisis to the next. And somehow . . . they kept playing football. This week, we welcome former Gunslingers public relations director Greg Singleton, author of Gunnin' for Glory, for an insider's look at one of professional football's most delightfully dysfunctional organizations.  Singleton takes us beyond the incredulity, introducing the coaches, players and front-office personalities who somehow turned daily dysfunction into lifelong friendships. Along the way come unforgettable tales featuring penny-pinching owner Clint Manges, coaches Gil Steinke and Jim Bates, star quarterback Rick Neuheisel, and a supporting cast so colorful they almost defy belief. + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY BUY THE BOOK:  "Gunnin' for Glory: The Wild, Weird, Wonderful Stories of the USFL's San Antonio Gunslingers": https://amzn.to/3QCOcY3  SPONSOR THANKS:   Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

451.5: The 1970s - With Michael MacCambridge [ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE]

[While Tim runs up and down the East Coast this week to take in some World Cup knockout matches in person, please enjoy this ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE of our tribute to pro sports' most innovative decade - with award-winning sports history chronicler Michael MacCambridge - from 2023.] + + + After an absence of over six years and more than 300+ episodes, sportswriter extraordinaire Michael MacCambridge ("Lamar Hunt: A Life in Sports"; "America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation"; "Chuck Noll: His Life's Work") makes his triumphant return to the podcast - this time to celebrate the release of his brand new, instant sports history classic, "The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America." It's just about everything you'd expect from the author of what is arguably the most definitive look yet at the decade that undeniably shaped the modern trajectory of sports in America - including (of course) a bevy of challenger leagues, defunct teams, one-of-a-kind events that only the Seventies could produce! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY BUY THE BOOK: "The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America": https://amzn.to/4f93VHv SPONSOR THANKS: Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

451: Baseball's History By Design - With Todd Radom

Baseball history is often told through championships, statistics and the tales of legendary players. Todd Radom sees it differently. One of sports' foremost designers, branding experts and visual historians, Radom has spent decades exploring the artifacts that tell baseball's deeper story: logos, uniforms, ballparks, scorecards, mascots and the countless details that connect generations of fans to the game they love. In this episode, we discuss Radom's fascinating career and his latest book, "The Ballpark and Beyond," a richly illustrated celebration of baseball's people, places and enduring culture. Along the way, we explore forgotten franchises, legendary ballparks, Negro League dynasties, baseball's ties to American history, and the surprising stories hidden in plain sight throughout the sport. Through Radom's unique lens, baseball becomes more than a sport — it becomes a living archive of American culture. The result is a wide-ranging exploration of the people, places and forgotten connections that continue to give the national pastime its remarkable depth and texture. + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY BUY THE BOOK:  "The Ballpark and Beyond: An Illustrated Celebration of Baseball's Rich History": https://amzn.to/43SZdHB SPONSOR THANKS:  Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/